Grinding machine



April 28, 1931. c. H. NORTON GRINDING MACHINE Filed June 4, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 oooooobfigjgjgggm Charles Norton Fig. 6

April 28, 1931. c. H. NORTON GRINDING MACHINE Filed June 4, 1927 -s Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. Hy. 1/ as '7 I Clmrles H Norfon 47 I 45 9- QQ TMH April 28, 1931. c, NORTON 1,802,389

GRINDING MACHINE Filed June 4, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 (liar/es H Norfon 1n a cage between two opposed .abrading action is caused Patented Apr. 28, 1931 OF WORCESTER,

PLAIN'VILLE, CON N EG'I'IGU T, ASSIGNOR TO NOB'I'ON COMPANY, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS- emnmlve MACHINE Application filed June 4, 1927. Serial No. 196,579.

ing and grinding are all grinding operations,

in the broader meaning of the expression.

Various types of machines, known as grinding or lapping machines, have been proposed for grinding a plurality of work pieces in which the work pieces have elements provided with plane annular abrading faces and either one or both of the annular elements or the work cage has been rotated to produce a relative movement between the work and the elements. In such machines, the two annular elements have been made of various materials depending upon the type of grinding operation desired. They are ordinarily made of abrasive materials, such as that of an ordinary grinding wheel, or of metal, such as iron, which is used with loose abrasive grain and oil, or which is charged with abrasive grains. In a machine of this type, the by a sliding motion of the work relative to the annular abrading elements, if the work is flat surfaced, or by a combined rolling and sliding motion, if it is round.

This operation as heretofore practiced is intermittent and non-automatic since the work pieces are manually loaded into the cage and subsequently removed and inspected by the operator before the machine is reloaded witha new supply of work pieces and the lapping operation repeated. Such a machine is necessarily expensive to operate on a production basis owing to the loss of time involved and to the slowness of the lapping operation. There is a need for an automatic machinein which the work pieces will be fed vide an automatic machine which will serve been mounted y erably accomplished by means of a constructo grind a large number of round workpieces simultaneously of work simultaneously and to reduce them is another object of my invention to provlde a machine in which the work may be automatically to the grinding element, sized in a single pass through the machine and then automatically discharged.

A still further object is to eliminate or minimize the non-productive period of a particularly to rovide. a fully automatic grinding mac ine' which may be used for finely or roughly sizing a large number of wor With these and other objects in view as will be apparent to one skilled in the art, my invention resides in the combination of parts set forth in the specification and covered by thejclaims appended hereto.

In accordance with my invention, I provide a grinding machine h is so constructed and arranged that the work pieces may be fed to and removed from the machine automatically so that the machine may-operate contiri'uously for grinding a succession of pieces.

My invention further contemplates the provision of a grinding machine which causes a multiplicity of work pieces tobe ground simultaneously andreduced successively to' a before they are discharged from 'the machine, and this is preftion in which the work makes a single pass through the grinding zone.

In the specific embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, I have there shown a machine having an upper rotatable.

\ ed and arranged that the member and a lower stationary member, each of which is provided with an annular face adapted to cooperate with a rotatable work cage located therebetween to grind a plurality of work pieces simultaneously. The annular elements may each be made as desired, either of abrasive material or of nonabrasive material and they may be so mountspace therebetween may be adjusted to accommodate various sizes of work pieces. In order that the work may be transported automatically and successively through the grinding zone, it is preferable that the lower or stationary annular element be so shaped and arranged that as a piece of work travels along its surface, the center of the work may gradually approach the other element. In other words, this stationary element may be shaped to provide an inclined surface between two points so that as the work travels from the lower to the higher point, it will be reduced in size.

In order to introduce the work automatically into the grinding zone a feeding device is arranged to present the work pieces successively to the cage. One mechanism suitable for this purpose, as illustrated in the drawings, comprises an oscillating arm arranged to receive the work pieces from a chute and present them successively to the revolving cage. The work similarly may be removed from the grinding zone by a suitable discharge device. This may comprise an opening in the stationary annular grinding element which is so arranged that the work pieces may travel substantially through one revolution through the grinding zone while remaining in the work cage.

The work is preferably given a path which is eccentric relative to one of the abrading members, and preferably the rotatable member, so as to cause it to contact with the entire operative face and cause even wear thereof. In carrying out a lapping operation it is preferable that both the cage and the upper rotatable abrading element be rotated slowly and that the work slide relative to both of the annular elements and not merely roll thereon. It will also be observed that the work is arranged in a substantially radial position in the cage and this further causes a sliding motion of the work relative to the annular elements as it traverses through the grinding zone. The rates of motion of the two elements may be varied as desired by the operator, in accordance with the nature of the work and the type of grinding operation desired.

Referring to the drawings which illustrate a simple form of one embodiment of my invention and in which like reference numerals indicate like parts:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine having parts broken away to more clearly show the construction;

Fig. 4 is a plan view similarly showing the relations of the main parts;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a portion of the work driving cage and the work feeding mechanism;

Fig. 6 is a development of the operative portion of the track and the wheel showing the relation thcrebetween and illustrating the reduction in size of work as it revolves;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a portion of the cage showing the adjustable thrust screws for positioning the work;

Fig.8 is an end elevation of the work sup-. porting member removed from the machine, but with the curve of the track exaggerated;

Fig. 9 is a detail of a modification of the track;

Fig. 10 is a detail showing the work feeding mechanism;

Fig. 11 is a detail partly in elevation and partly broken away of a modified form of track and devices for and Fig. 12 is a top plan view of the track and adjusting arms removed from the support.

As shown in the drawings, I have illustrated a grinding machine having a base 10 car rying an annular abrasive'element 11 mount ed on a rotatable spindle 12. The upper end of the spindle 12 is provided with a pulley 13 arranged to be rotated by a belt 14 passing over the idler pulley 15 from any suitable source of power. Opposed to the plane of the operative surface of the rotatable element is a stationary annular member 17 mounted upon a portion of the base of the machine. A work cage 18 is mounted for rotation between the operative surfaces of both annular elements and it is so constructed and arranged that, as it rotates, it causes the work pieces 19 to revolve about the cage center while it imparts a sliding movement to them relative to both annular members. The grinding elements may be made of metal and used with an abrading compound or they may be made of other suitable material, such as an abrasive body similar to the grinding wheel, the grain and grade and other characteristics of the body depending upon the nature of the work and the operation to be performed. v

In the preferred construction, the annular elements are mounted with their axes in a vertical plane, with the rotatable member above, and in order that proper adjustments may be made between the rotatable member and the stationary member, I preferably mount the rotatable member in a housing 20 carried on'an arm 21 pro ecting from the upright 22 of the base 10. The spindle 12 is rotatably mounted in av hollow sleeve 26, which is slidably mounted within the housing 20 but is held against rotation therein by a key 27 adapted to slide in a keyway 28 in the'housing. The upper end of the sleeve 26 is provided with a threaded portion29 surrounded by a hand wheel 30 having a correspondingly threaded aperture. The lower 'face of the hand Wheel bears against the upper face of the housing 20. In the construction illustrated the Weight of the upper rotatable member and SlGBXB construction is considered sufiicient to hold the rotatable stationary member for different sizes of work or to com- I tatable member at a pensate for weari of the operative surface of the wheel. 1

The stationary'annular member may be mounted directly upon the base of the machine if desire but in my preferred construction, it is carried on a slide 35 adapted tobe adjusted transversely on the dovetailed slideway '36- on the base of the machine. To provide for such adjustment of the slide, ll may utilize any suitable mechanism such as a nut and screw. This construction comprises a nut 37 mounted on the under surface of the slide 35 and a screw 38 mounted for rotation but held against endwise movement in a portion of the base, which is arranged to engage the threaded portion of the nut 37. A hand wheel 39 is mounted on the outer end of the screw 38 to permit the slide to be adjusted transversely of the machine. By turning the screw 38, the stationary member 17 may be adjusted to vary the eccentricity of the per and lower elements, so that as the work enters-the machine, the outer ends of the rolls to be ground may contact vwith the ropoint adjacent-its outer periphery and at a position diametrically opposite, as viewed in the work may be adjacent to the inner pesent the pieces one be rotated from (not shown) riphery of the rotatable member.

The work carrying cage 18 is mounted on the upper end of a vertical shaft 40 supportedin suitable bearings'41""in the slide 35. The lower end of the shaft 40 is provided with a gear.42, meshing with a smaller gear 43 which-is mounted on a shaft 44 supported in hearings in the slide 35. The shaft 44 may any suitable source of power such as a motor in the base or the like. j 4

One suitable feeding mechanism for introducing 'the work involves means to pre by one to work receivge. As shown in Figs.

mg portions of the ca slides down the chute 1, 5 and 10, the work rier plate 46 of the distance so that the block P- be Fig. 3, the inner end of 66 arranged around the periphery of the 45, the lower end of slide 35, and onto the work supporting carwork feeding member 47. he member 47 is a lever pivotally mounted on a stud 48 which is supported on the slide 35 and it is normally held with the carrier plate 46 m an upper position by means of a spring 50, one end of which is attached to the slide and the' other end to the outer end of the lever 47. The upward movement of the surface 46 is limited by a stop 51 projecting from the under side of the lever 47 to engage the top of the slide. The lever 47 is provided with an upwardly projecting arm 55 adapted to contact with the blocks 56 on the o outer periphery of the work cage 18.

As thecage rotates in the direction of the arrow, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5, the block 56 contacts with the projection 55 and swings the lever 47 so that carrier 46 is moved downdly into alignment with the lower surface of the chute 45. This permits a piece of work to slide downwardly under the influence of gravity onto the carrier 46. As soon as the work cage 18 has turned a sufficient 56 passes out of contact with the arm 55, the carrier late swings'upwardly, due to the tension 0 the spring 50, and moves the piece of work to one of the work receivingportions in the work carrying cage. The carrier remains in the upper position until the next block 56 contacts with the projection 55.. In the meantime the piece of work partially transferred to a work receiving portion of the cage is which is mounted on the a approaches the other member due to the To stop each work piece in the proper position on the carrier 46, I provide a stop memcap screw 61. The member 60 is provided with an elongated slot 62 to permit adjustment to position the work pieces beneath the openings in the cage.

he work carrying cage 18 may be suitably constructed to hold the work. s shown, it comprises a disk having a hub 64 to, rotate with the shaft 40 and it is provided with a plurality of slots or openings 6-5 which are of the proper size to receive the objects 19 to. be ground. The radial arms of the cage between the slots-serve. to locate the work pieces and to control theirrotation. A ring face of the cage 18 adjacent the edge of each r 60 which is clamped to the slide 35 by a which acts to is so shaped that as the amount of receive the thrust of the upper rotating.

member and to maintain the work in contact with the lower member 17 This beveled face may be shaped to contact with the work above its center and near to the surface of the upper member so that its thrust is transmitted to hold the work firmly in contact with the lower member. In order to minimize the friction of the outer end of the work on the annular rim 66 of the cage, I prefer to employ an adjustable screw 69 (Fig. 7) which is arranged to engage the work piece and serve as a thrust bearing therefor.

In order that the work may be automatically discharged from the machine, after it has been reduced to size. I provide the stationary member with a downwardly sloping surface 70, located close to the work entrance so as to permit the pieces of work to roll into a receptacle or to a chute 71 which leads to the outside of the machine base. To prevent interference with the escaping work the arm of the lever l? which is fastened to the spring 50 is offset, asshown in Fig. 10.

The surface of the stationary member 17 the cage is revolved, the work is first swept off the carrier 46 up the inclined plane 58 and into contact with the rotatable member. The work is then given a combined rolling and sliding motion until it reaches the discharging slope 70, where it leaves the grinding zone. In the drawings, the rotatable member is shown out of contact with the'work for clarity of illustration. The stationary member may be suitably shaped as desired or required for the particular work to be ground. The form illustrated diagrammatically in Figs. 6 and 8 has two active areas, the first part 7 5 having a gradual slope towards the rotatable member so as to reduce the work size and the second part 76 being substantially parallel with the surface of the rotatable. member so as to permit that member to grind its way out and finish the surface of the work. By utilizing this construction for the stationary member the amount of lost motion in the grinding operation is reduced to a minimum.

The stationary element may be formed in i any, suitable manner, either as a rigidmemher or adjustable in shape. As shown in Fig. 9, the curvature may be changed at will by providing a flanged support 7 8, which may be mounted rigidly on the slide 35, and by forming the member of a flexible strip 79 which may be bent as-desired bya series of push and pull screws 80 and 81. lhe screws 80 are threaded through the support 7 8 and push against the under surface of the strip 79. The screws 81 pass loosely through the support 78 and are threaded into the strip 79. This makes it possible to reduce or increase stock to be removed from the work and to vary therate of grinding.

If it is desired to tilt the stationary eleof the abrasive annulus.

rscass mentlaterally so that one may adjust it for wear as well as to make it feasible to grind either cylinders or tapered rolls, the construction shown in Figs. 11 and 12 may be used. The support 85, corresponding with the slide 35 of Fig. 1 has suitably fastened thereto the support 86 which in turn carries the annular member the member is made to provide two spaced surfaces 88 and 89 separated by a slot 90, so that the work may roll only on its ends and water and grit may fall into the slot and be carried therefrom through the openings 91.

Incidentally, it will be understood that suitable provisions may be made for the use of water during the grinding operation and for truing the grinding elements and otherwise carrying out the standard grinding practices which are applicable to a machine of this type.

The annular stationary element may be flexed and tilted by means of push and pull screws. The push screws 94 are threaded through the member 87 within the slot 90 and engage the top surface of a rib 95 on the support 86. The pull screws 96 likewise pass loosely through the arms 97 projecting laterally from the annular member 87 and are threaded into the ribs 98 projecting from the support 86. The long arms 97 make it possible to tilt the member laterally with a line degree of precision.

It will be understood that the longitudinal flexing of the lower stationary element is ordinarily but a few thousandths of an inch, and that. the surface of the lower element may be ground to form a portion thereof, as for example the plane portion 76 which is parallel with the upper annular face. It will be clear that the machine is applicable for grinding either cylindrical or tapered bodies, depending upon the shape of the stationary member and the openings in the cage will be formed accordingly. It will also be understood that the eccentricity of the cage and the rotatable element may be varied from zero to a desired extent. If the face of the rotatable element is wider than the work length, as shown in Fig. 4, the slide 35 may be adjusted so that the work just comes to both the inner and the outer peripheral edges Consequently, the face of the upper member will not be grooved but will remain substantially plane.

In the operation of my machine, assuming that the necessary adjustments have been made in the, machine to handle the particular piece of work to be ground, the rough pieces of work are placed in a hopper feeding to the chute 45. As the cage 18 rotates,

87. In the form shown the blocks 56 successively contact with the projection 55 of the lever lever periodically so that the carrier 46 moves 47 and swing the downwardly into alignment with the lower I surface of the hopper 45. The influence of gravity on the work pieces in the hopper causes them to slide one at a time onto the carrier. The adjustable stop member 50 positions the work piece so that it is in alignment with an opening in the cage 18. When the block 56 passes over the top of the projection 55 the carrier 46 swings upwardly and moves the piece through an opening in the lower member and the side of a cage opening engages the work and carries it from thecarrier onto and up the sloping surface 58 of the work supporting member 17 until it comes into operative contact withthe upper abrading element. The thrust of the upper rotating member holds the work against the beveled face 68 and the stationary member 17. The work is progressively fed upwardly toward the upper member because of the upward in cline of the stationary member thereby causing a progressive grinding of each piece of work. When the work reaches the portion 76 of thestationary member which is par-7 allel to the upper rotatable face, the upper member has an opportunity to finish the work surface. Thereafter, the work rolls down the curved surface 70 of the stationary member and out of engagement with the cage. As the grinding operation proceeds, the rotatable element maybe fed downwardly by turning the hand wheel 30 as previously described to compensate for wear of the face of the upper element. The work cage serves to rotate the work during such times as it is out of contact with the upper'element, and during the grinding operation it controls the work movement relative to both annular elements and about the cage center. The slope f the stationary member determines the amount of stock removed from the work during its single revolution. By means of this apparatus, I am able to grind a large number of pieces of work to duplicate size each making but a single pass through the grinding zone. The len h of the stationary member and the rate 0 rotation of the cage may be varied depending upon the type of work to be treated, and the parts may be variously arranged within the scope of my claims. The machine is fully automatic in its operation and requires the minimum of attention on the part of the operator.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A grinding machine comprising a rotatable member having an annular abrading face, a work cage arranged to hold a plurality of pieces of work simultaneously in contact With said face, a member on the opposite side of the work cage and cooperating therewith to, hold the work pieces in contact with said abrading member, centric to said will contact abrading face so that the work means for rotating the cage ecwith the entlre face, means to I rotate said abrading member and means for automatically loading, pieces of work into said cage.

2. A grinding machine comprising two opposed members providing annular faces adapted to contact with and grind a plurality of pieces of work simultaneously, means to rotate one of said members, a rotatable work cage between said members arranged to maintain a plurality of work pieces in operative contact therewith, positively actuated means to move the cage during the grinding operation, and means for automatically loading pieces of work into the cage without removing it from the machine.

3. A grinding machine comprising two relatively rotatable members having opposed annular faces which cooperate to grind a plurality of work pieces, means to rotate one of said members, a cage rotatably mounted therebetween and arranged to hold a plurality of Work pieces in operative contact with said faces, positively acting mechanism to rotate the work cage between said elements so as to, revolve the work and cause a multiplicity of work pieces to be ground simultaneously, and mechanism which serves to feed work pieces to the cage during the grinding operation.

4. A grinding machine comprising two opposed members having annular faces which cooperate to grind a plurality of pieces of Work simultaneously, means to rotate one of said members, a rotatable cage between said members arranged to maintain a plurality of work pieces in operative contact therewith, positively actuated mechanism to rotate the cage, a hopper to hold a plurality of unfinished Work pieces, and automatically operating means cooperating with said cage to convey pieces of work successively from said hopper to the cage While the latter rotates.

'5. A grinding machine comprising two opposed members providing annular faces adapted to contact Withand grind a plurality of pieces of work simultaneously, a rotatable work cage between said members arranged to maintain a plurality of work pieces in operative contact therewith, positively actuated means for rotating the automatically discharging work pieces from tlie cage.

6. A grinding machine comprising two opposed members providing annular. faces adapted to contact with and grind a plural- 120 ity of pieces of work simultaneously, a rotatable Work cage between said members and having provisions for maintaining a plurality of work pieces in operative contact with said members, cage, means for discharging work pieces from the cage after they have been finished, and. means for loading the work cage with new pieces of work.

cage, and means for 1.

means for rotating the 12 5 to rotate the cage,

relatively rotatable members having opposed annular faces which cooperate to grind a plurality of pieces of work simultaneously, means for rotating one of the members, a rotatable cage between the members arranged to hold a plurality of work pieces in operative contact therewith, positively actuated means and means to feed pieces of work successively to and discharge the same from the cage.

8. A grinding machine comprising two elements having opposed annular faces which cooperate to grind a plurality of work pieces simultaneously, a work cage rotatably mounted therebetween and arranged to hold a plurality of similar work pieces in operative contact with said faces, means to rotate the cage relative to said elements at a definite rate of revolution and cause the .work pieces to positively revolve about the cage center while remaining in grinding contact with said elements, mechanism which serves to feed pieces of work to the work cage, and means permitting the discharge of the Work pieces automatically from the rotating cage.

9. A grindin machine comprising two relatively rota-table members having opposed annular faces which cooperate to grind a plurality of pieces of work simultaneously, means for rotating one of the members, a rotat-able cage between the members arranged to hold a plurality of work pieces in operative contact therewith, positively actuated means to rotate the cage, mechanism operat ing in timed relation to the cage rotation to feed pieces of work successively to the cage, and means permitting their discharge successively from the cage during the grinding operation.

10. A grinding machine comprising a rotatable grinding wheel having a plane annular face, an adjustable work support providing a substantially circular face opposed to the wheel face, means to maintain work pieces in operative engagement with and between said faces, and means for adjusting the shape of the work support'to vary the distance of any part theerof from the grinding wheel.

11. A grinding machine comprising two opposed members providing annular faces adapted to contact with and grind a plurality of pieces of work simultaneously, a 1'0 tatable cage between said members adapted to maintain a plurality of work pieces in operative contact therewith, means to rotate the cage, and means to rotate one of said members to grind the work, said opposed members being so shaped that the space therebetween progressively decreases from one point to another and pieces of work introduced into the wider portion of said space will be progressively ground to a smaller size as they travel between said members.

12. A grinding machine comprising two elements having opposed annular faces which cooperate to grind a plurality of work pieces simultaneously, a work cage rotatably mounted therebewteen and arranged to hold a plurality of tive contact with said faces, positively actuated means to rotate the cage and cause the work pieces to revolve while remaining in a grinding relation to said elements, the face of one of said elements being so shaped that the centers of the work pieces progressively approach the elements as they move through a single revolution about the cage center.

13. A grinding machine comprising two elements having opposed annular faces which cooperate to grind a plurality of work pieces simultaneously, a Work cage rotatably mounted therebetween and arranged to hold a plurality of similar work pieces in oper ativecontact with said faces, means to 1'0". tate the cage and to cause the work pieces to revolve while remaining in a grinding relation to said elements, the face of one of said elements being so shaped that the centers of the work pieces progressively ap proach the elements as they move through a single revolution about the cage center, and means to move one grinding element towards and from the other in order to accommodate different sizes of work.

14:. A grinding machine comprising an upper rotatable element and a lower stationary element having opposed annular faces which cooperate to grind a work piece, means to rotate the rotatable element, a cage rotatably and eccentrically mounted therebetween and arranged to hold a plurality of round work pieces in operative contact with said faces, and means to rotate the cage and cause the work pieces to rotate axially and revolve about the cage center, one of said faces being so shaped that the center of the work pieces progressively approach the elements as the pieces revolve through a single revolution about the cage center. I 15. A grinding machine comprising two opposed members having annular faces which cooperate to grind a plurality of pieces of work simultaneously, a rotatable cage between said members adapted to maintain a plurality of work pieces in operative contact therewith, means to rotate the cage, one of said opposed members being so shaped that the space therebetween progressively decreases from one point to another whereby pieces of work introduced into the wider portion of said space will be progressively ground to a smaller size as they revolve between said members. and means for feeding work pieces successively into the wider portions of the space between said members.

16. A grinding machine comprising two opposed members having annular faces which cooperate to grind a plurality of pieces of work simultaneously, a rotatable cage besimilar work pieces in opera-- tween said members adapted to maintain a through substantially a complete revolution plurality of work pieces in operative conaround the circular member. jtact therewith, means to rotate the cage, 6 1e 20. A grinding machine comprising two of said opposed members being so shaped opposed members providing annular faces 5 that the space therebetween progressively adapted to contact with and grind a plural- 70 decreases from one point to another whereby ity of pieces of worksimultaneously, a rotatpiecesof work introduced into the wider able work cage between said members adaptportion of said space will be progressively ed to maintain a plurality of work pieces in ground to a smaller size as they revolve becontact therewith, a" slide supporting said tween said members, means for feeding work cage, and means to adjust said slide transpieces successively into the wider portions versely. of the space between said members, and 21. A grinding machine comprising two means permitting the work pieces to be sucopposed members having annular faces cessively discharged from the narrower porwhich cooperate to grinda plurality of pieces tion of the space between said elements. of work simultaneously, a rotatable work 80 17. grinding machine comprising a rocage between said members arranged to tatable abrasive member having a plane anmaintain a plurality of work pieces in connular abrading face, a work support presenttact therewith, means to rotate one of said ing a track opposed to said wheel face, a romembers and the cage relatively to grind tatable cage eccentric with said member and the work, a slide supporting said cage, and 85 arranged to maintain a plurality of work means to adjust said slide transversely;

pieces simultaneously in contact with said 22. A- grinding machine comprising a abrading face and the track, means to rogrinding wheel having a plane annular tate the abrasive member, means to move the abrading face, a work support having a circage eccentrically about the center of the cular face opposed to said wheel face which 90 abrasive member, and automatic means to progressively approaches it from one point convey work pieces successively to the cage to another in its circumference, a rotatable and permit their discharge therefrom. work cage between said wheel and support grinding machine comprising a having a-plurality of openings arranged to grinding wheel rotatable about a vertical axis hold a number of pieces of work simultane- 95 which has a plane annular abrading face, a ously in grinding contact with said faces, stationary work support beneath'th'e wheel means to rotate the grindingwheel, means having a face which is eccentric with the to rotate the cage, a slide mounted to supwheel face, a cage rotatable about a vertical port said Work support and the cage, and

\ axis whichis arranged to hold a large nummeans to ,move said slide to vary the eccenber of pieces of work simultaneously in tricitypf the path of the work and the annugrinding contact with said faces, said stalar face of the grinding wheel.

tionary support having an inclined portion 23. A grinding machine comprising two which gradually approaches the grinding opposed members providing annular faces 40 wheel face'whereby work rolling along said adapted to contact with and grind a plural- 105 inclined face will be reduced in diameter as ity of pieces of work simultaneously, means it is ground, means for automatically introto maintain a plurality of work pieces in ducing work to the lower portion of said inoperative contact with both of said memclined face and means for removing the work bers during the grinding operation and from the higher portion of the inclined face means for adjusting the shape of one of said 110 pieces one by one after they have traversed nular face, a flexible after it has made a' single revolution around members to vary the distance of any part said stationary support. thereof from the other.

19. A grinding machine comprising a 24. grinding machine comprising a r0- grinding wheel rotatable about a vertical tatable grinding wheel having a plane anaxis and having a plane. face, a Work supnular face, a flexible work supporting mem- 115 port beneath the wheel having a circular ber opposed to the wheel face, arotatable member opposed to the wheel face; a rotary cage to maintain workpieces inoperative encage between said faces which is arranged gagement with the wheel andsaid member, to hold a plurality of work pieces simultaneand a support, and means cooperating with ously in grinding contact therewith, said said supportto adjust the shape of theflexible cage and member being eccentric to the? member. grinding wheel and the circular face having 25. A grinding machine comprising a r0- an inclined portion thereof which gradually t'atable grinding wheel, a lower work supapproaches the wheel face so thatwork rollporting element opposed thereto, means to ing along the inclined face will be reduced in maintain work pieces onthe lower element diameter, means for adjusting the shape of in operative engagement with the wheel and thework support, means associated with said means for tilting the work support laterally. parts to feed pieces of work successively to 26. A grinding machine comprising a rothe cage, and means for discharging the tatable griuding whevlo having a plane anrk supporting mem- 1 grinding zone, a rotatable cage ing ' having an opening t 39 with said elements,

elements, means to rotate the cage,

K are moved piece of work,

her opposed to the wheel face, a rotatable cage to maintain work pieces in operative engagement with the wheel and said memher, and a support, and means cooperating 5 with said support to flex the flexible member both laterally and longitudinally and thereby to vary its shape and the distance of portions thereof from the face of the grinding wheeh 1 27. A grinding machine comprising two opposed elements having annular faces which cooperate to grind a piece of work, one of said elements having an opening therethrough which permits the feeding of work into the mounted between said elements and arranged to holda plurality of 'work pieces simultaneously in contact therewith, and means for feeding work pieces successively through said openinto the cage. 28. A grinding machine comprising two opposed members having annuiar faces which cooperate to grind a plurality of pieces oi? work simultaneously, one of said elements herethrough, a rotatable cage between said members adapted tomaintain a plurality'of workpieces in operative contact therewith, means to rotate the cage and revolve the work in operative relation means to rotate one of said members to grind the work, and means for feeding work pieces successively through said opening into the cage;

29. A'grinding ,machine comprising twp 35 oppesed elements having annular faces which cooperate to grindia piece 01"" work, one or which is inclined so that'a piece of work revolving th'erebetween will gradually approach said elements, one of said elements 40 having an opening therethrough located in the widest space between said elements, a rotatable cage mounted therebetween and arranged to hold. a plurality of work pieces simultaneously in grinding contact with said and means cooperating therewith to feed pieces of successively through said opening to said inclined surface and into operative engagement with the cage whereby the pieces of workup said incline into grinding contact with the elements.

' 30. A grinding machine comprising a rotatable element and a stationary element'hav ing annular faces which cooperate to grind a said stationary element having an opening therethrough, the face of said stationary elementbeing inclined so that a piece of work moving from the opening wi traverse into a narrower portion of the grind- GD ing zone, means to rotate said rotatable element,,a rotatable cage between said elements arranged to hold a plurality of work pieces -in grinding engagement with said elements,

, means to rotate the cage, and means for load= mg pieces of work successively through said having an opening therethrough,

work 7 opening into: the cage and permitting the work pieces to be discharged therefrom.

31. A grinding machine comprising two opposed elements having annular faces which cooperate to grind a plurality of work pieces simultaneously, one oi said elements having an opening therethrough, a rotatable cage mounted between said elements and arranged to hold a plurality of work pieces simultaneously in contact therewith, means to rotate the cage and resolve the work in operative relation with said elements, means for feeding work pieces: successively through said opening into the cage, and a work carrying lever arranged toreceive work pieces successively and present them through said opening into the cage.

A grinding machine comprising two opposed elements having annular faces which cooperate to grind 'a plurality ofpieces of work simultaneously, one pf said elements a rotatable between said elements and arcage mounted of work pieces ranged to hold/a plurality simultaneously in contact therewith, means to rotate the cage and revolve the work in :operative relation with said elements, means for feeding work pieces successively through said opening into the cage, a work carrying lever arranged to receive work pieces succes sively and present them through said opening into the cage, and associated means on said cage and said lever arranged to'move the lever'as the cage rotates to present work pieces success ely to the openings in the cage;

Signed at Worcester, Massachusetts, this 3rd day of June, 1827. v 1 CHARLES H. NORTON. 

